Did the Lakers miss on Andrew Goudelock?

Former Los Angeles Lakers reserve guard Andrew Goudelock is in position to vie for the Las Vegas Summer League MVP award after putting together several strong performances in the NBA’s proving ground, and that brings up an interesting question.

Did the Lakers miss on him?

It’s a fair one to ask, but comes with a very real caveat — it’s Summer League. With that said, his 18.3 points per game and 2.0 assists per game in four contests is noteworthy. The best news for the Bulls is that he’s doing it on an efficient 46 percent shooting and 13.8 shots per game. The Las Vegas league is all about volume shooting and not worrying about getting others involved, but Goudelock has been able to stand out by getting his points within the framework of the offense. His tournament-high 31-point performance raised eyebrows and put him on the map.

The NBA is full of talent. Even the 12th man on every league roster is among the world’s best players, so a lot of times a player’s potential depends on his opportunity. In a league that thrives on singe-digit rotations, that makes it tough for the Andrew Goudelocks of the world to prove they belong. Summer League is a chance for he and others like him to audition for another team who may have a greater opportunity lying in wait.

The Lakers have a lot of challenges ahead. They lost out on Dwight Howard and need a lot of help in a season where they have little flexibility to add any substantial pieces. It would be a shame if they had someone all along who could have given them something as rotation player at some point in the 2012-13 season. The Lakers added Jordan Farmar and have Steve Blake and Steve Nash at the point guard spot, while Kobe Bryant, Jodie Meeks and now Nick Young are the two-guards.

Could Goudelock fit in somewhere among those players? Nash, Bryant and Blake won’t be around forever and everyone but Nash is on a one-year deal. LA’s homegrown product could be a productive player in a few years, but will likely do it for another team.

The last Summer League MVP did OK for himself. Damian Lillard parlayed his preseason success into an NBA Rookie of the Year campaign. Goudelock has a chance to follow suit and use that to springboard himself into an NBA rotation. In the NBA, all it takes is one real opportunity, and he could see his greatest one yet come soon.